Registered Surveyor study guide
Registered Surveyor · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Registered Surveyor credential - also called Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) or Licensed Land Surveyor depending on the jurisdiction - is the license that authorizes a surveyor to sign and seal boundary surveys, plats, and legal descriptions and to take professional responsibility for them. It is intended for surveyors who have completed the required education and supervised field and office experience and who are ready to be accountable for their work to clients, courts, and the public. The Registered Surveyor study guide has 10 sections and about 4,909 words.
01Boundary Law and Retracement
This domain tests whether you can move from conflicting record information and physical evidence to a defensible location of a boundary line, and whether you know which kind of evidence outranks which. Expect deed-construction questions, monument-vs-distance conflicts, water-boundary scenarios, and retracement of federal and lot-and-block parcels.
525 words, about 3 min02Measurement and Geodesy
This domain tests the relationships among the ellipsoid, the geoid, and vertical datums, plus the correction logic behind leveling and electronic distance measurement. Expect questions on height systems, curvature and refraction, EDM constants, and how accuracy is expressed in standards.
510 words, about 3 min03Coordinate Systems and Geodetic Computations
This domain tests the chain from field measurement to grid and geodetic coordinates: projection choice, scale and convergence factors, and forward and inverse computations. Expect numerical questions on reducing ground distances to the grid and on converting between azimuth conventions.
494 words, about 2 min04Surveying Instrumentation and Field Procedures
This domain tests equipment selection, instrument checks and adjustments, and the field procedures that keep a survey defensible. Expect questions on collimation and two-peg tests, face-left and face-right observations, prism constants, GNSS RTK setup, and traverse procedure.
494 words, about 2 min05Cadastral and Land Records Systems
This domain tests the public land survey system, the mechanics of land descriptions, and how deeds, plats, and survey records interact. Expect questions on section numbering and subdivision, aliquot part interpretation, recording statutes, and the difference between a deed and title.
498 words, about 2 min06Cartography and Map Projections
This domain tests projection properties, scale conversions, north references, and map accuracy standards. Expect questions that require you to choose a projection for a mapping task, convert between map and ground distances, and interpret accuracy statements correctly.
456 words, about 2 min07Geographic Information Systems and Digital Data
This domain tests data models, topology, coordinate reference handling, accuracy reporting, and metadata for spatial data. Expect questions on vector and raster structure, datum transformation pitfalls, surface models, and how positional accuracy is quantified.
423 words, about 2 min08Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
This domain tests the geometry of aerial and satellite imagery, stereo coverage, orthorectification, and sensor characteristics. Expect scale and flying-height computations, relief displacement, ground sample distance, and classification accuracy measures.
511 words, about 3 min09Professional Practice and Ethics
This domain tests your legal and ethical duties, the scope of licensed practice, and the standards that govern deliverables. Expect scenario questions about client pressure, sealing of work, conflicts of interest, expert testimony, and error disclosure.
513 words, about 3 min10Surveying Mathematics and Error Analysis
This domain tests computation fluency and statistically defensible treatment of error: azimuths and bearings from coordinates, traverse adjustment, area by coordinates, precision ratios, and propagation of uncertainty. Expect questions that mix geometry with a decision about whether a closure is acceptable.
485 words, about 2 min